Night of the Black Cat
by KogasMySexyBeast
Summary: One night after work, Tohru and Yuki stumble across a fever ridden girl who collapsed in the alley. A strange girl, with even stranger origins. What kind of fortune will the girl bring? KyoXOC Review Please! Rated T for language only.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of its characters._**

_In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. _

_~Franklin D. Roosevelt_

_"Why don't you love me? Isn't that what a family's supposed to do?"_

"_You are a foolish girl! Who would love you for what you are?" _

"_It's nice to know the love I felt for all of you was for nothing!"_

"_You're so dense; you don't even know what love is!"_

"_Anyone meeting you would be disgusted."_

'_All alone again…'_ Miyako thought, staring up at the night sky. The stars above her dimly lit the alley she was in. Small purple black clouds drifted through the sky like bruises. Soon the stars would be gone, and hopefully her as well.

'_This always happens…'_she thought, watching the clouds thicken slowly._ 'It's a good thing I can't hurt anyone if I die alone…'_

"Mew!" A small body pressed up against hers, begging for attention.

"No Amaya, go away, I'm bad luck…" Miyako coughed.

'_At least I am for humans…' _The kitten mewed again and curled up against her, its bottle green eyes locked with hers. Miyako smiled and pulled her coat from her shoulders.

"Here you go Amaya; it'll be of more use to you than me." Miyako wrapped the kitten in her coat, sitting up as she did so. The position proved to be unfavorable to her sickness and sent her into a coughing fit.

"Miss Honda! Where are you going?" Footsteps echoed in the alley.

'_People…great…'_ Miyako sighed inwardly, grimacing in pain as she lay back down.

'_This always happens…'_

"Sohma-kun! I think there's someone in the alley!"

"Careful Miss Honda, it could be a mugger."

'_Or worse…please go away…'_ Miyako screwed her eyes shut, willing the girl away; she didn't want another person hurt. Her conscience couldn't handle it.

'_Maybe if I stay still and quiet, she won't find me…'_ Much to her dismay, the girl, Miss Honda, appeared at her side, her face full of concern.

"Oh! Sohma-kun! Come quick!"

'_No… why…'_ A boy materialized out of the dark and loomed over Miyako and the other girl. He had dark gray hair and a girly looking face.

"Oh, wow…" the boy with gray hair leaned over and put his hand on Tohru's shoulder protectively.

"She doesn't look so good, what should we do Sohma-kun?" Honda said in a panicky voice, looking at the Sohma boy. Miyako closed her eyes.

'_Maybe they will go away…'_

"Should we call an ambulance?" she asked, worried. Miyako's eyes shot open.

"No!" she cried, sitting up awkwardly, fear filling her emerald green eyes. Honda and the Sohma boy looked at her in alarm. The kitten mewed at her side, frightened by the commotion.

"Don't. Don't call…an…ambulance…" Miyako slipped out of consciousness. Tohru looked at her helplessly before whipping around to face Yuki.

"Can we take her home? Just until she gets better; she can stay in my room." Tohru begged. "Please, she has a fever…" Tohru turned and looked at the girl sadly.

"I don't see why not… let me call Shigure, there's a pay phone around the corner," he said, reaching into his pocket for change. Tohru watched him run out of the alley. An icy cold drop hit her skin, making her shiver.

"Rain…" she said. Miyako moaned in her sleep and rolled over. A single tear rolled down her cheek, blending in with the rain.

"The clouds are crying…" Tohru said softly watching the sleeping Miyako as rain like tears fell all around them.

"The rain's really picking up," Shigure said, looking out the window. He was waiting for Tohru and Yuki to get home with the new ward. Apparently Tohru found some girl in the alleyway, sick with a fever. Worried for the girl's safety, Tohru asked, well, begged Yuki to take her home with them, _"just until she gets better," _as Tohru said.

'_Something tells me that girl has no home… or doesn't want to go home.' _Shigure glanced at the television; the local whether report called for flash flooding and a typhoon. It was quite unexpected weather, the last storm of the summer.

'_That girl,'_ he thought, turning his attention back to the problem at hand. _'It would be nice to have another flower grace this house of barbarians…' _Shigure glanced up at the ceiling.

Kyo was upstairs sleeping; he always got tired when it rained and usually slept during the lightest drizzle. _'Especially with the number of barbarians increasing…'_ he smiled at the thought of more girls in the house.

'_I'll have to speak to Akito.'_ A dog howled outside. Shigure glanced at the door. _'Danger's approaching… what danger? Does he mean the storm?'_ Someone knocked on the door, making him jump. _'There's our new flower now…'_

He opened the door to a drenched Yuki and Tohru, the unknown girl supported between them. Her black hair was matted down with rain and her clothes were dirty and torn. _'Where has this girl been?'_ Shigure thought, moving to help them. A small black kitten darted into the house just as he closed the door; they paid no mind to it.

"Here Tohru, Yuki and I will carry her in, you go get some towels." Shigure said, taking the arm Tohru had. He and Yuki guided her into the living room and sat her down.

"We need to get her out of these wet clothes," Yuki said, pulling off her shoes. Tohru came in the room, her arms full.

"I have the towels and a change of clothes for her," she said, handing a towel to Yuki. Tohru looked at the Shigure and Yuki, a slightly embarrassed look on her face.

"Umm, you guys get out so I can change her clothes," she said, trying and failing to give an order. There simply was no authority in her voice.

Yuki smiled and stood to leave, but Shigure looked unwilling. As a result, Yuki had to drag him in to the kitchen so Tohru could have a chance to change the girl.

In the kitchen, Shigure and Yuki were having a serious conversation about the new potential ward.

"Where are we going to put her?" Yuki asked, staring out the window.

"I know Tohru offered her room," Shigure said. "But I don't think that's enough space for two girls." Yuki nodded slowly.

"We have no other place for her though; I'm not sharing a room with that stupid Cat." Shigure nodded in understanding, a small smile on his face.

"Yes, I don't think we could afford that either."

"I say she stays with Tohru, it'll only be for a short time, right? Just until she gets better?" Yuki asked, ignoring Shigure's comment.

"Yes, I suggest that too, but I don't think it'll be for a short time; that girl's obviously homeless, I mean look at the state her clothes are in. Even a runaway would have better clothes." Shigure said, thinking.

'_Not to mention the way Akito's been acting; if this girl is indeed homeless and wishes to stay, Akito is bound to jump at the opportunity. It'll be another way to prove the world hates us.'_

"Yes," Yuki said, eyeing Shigure suspiciously. "I suppose you're right. But still…"

"Umm, Shigure…Sohma-kun…" Tohru's panicky voice cut Yuki short.

"What is it Miss Honda?" Yuki asked, casting a worried look to Shigure. Both guys immediately headed into the living room. Tohru looked up at them, a frightened and confused look on her face. The girl was nowhere in sight.

"Where is she?" Shigure asked looking around the room. _'There's no way a girl that sick could get up and walk out…'_

"Shigure," Yuki said, but he already saw. Nestled in the center of what Shigure recognized as the kimono Tohru got for the girl, was a small, black form.

"A…a cat?" Yuki said in disbelief. Tohru nodded.

"Her fever was getting worse…when…" she gestured to the sleeping cat. Shigure straightened a serious look on his face.

"We can't say anything to Kyo about this; not until she wakes up and we know more about her. I think there are enough people who know about this." The other two nodded, not saying anything. Shigure turned and walked out.

"Where are you going?" Yuki asked.

"I'm calling Hatori; we need a doctor and I have to see Akito in the morning; he'll want to know about what occurred tonight," Shigure called over his shoulder. Yuki turned to Tohru.

"Will you be alright with her?" he asked.

"Where are you going?" Tohru asked, confusion in her voice.

"I have to protect my secret base I was telling you about, this rain will destroy it." Yuki said. Tohru's eyes lit up.

"Why don't you both go?" Shigure asked, leaning into the room, phone at his shoulder.

"I'll stay here and watch the girl; Hatori should be over soon." Yuki and Tohru smiled.

"Let's go then!" Tohru said enthusiastically. She stood; ready to go, then stopped suddenly, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Shigure," she asked. Shigure poked his head in.

"Are you sure you can do that? I mean all by yourself…" Shigure chuckled softly.

"Of course I can, you two go on now," he said, a small smile on his face. Tohru smiled back happily and followed Yuki to the front door.

'_I wonder what that girl is...' _Tohru thought, glancing back at the bed before going out.

"Be careful," Shigure called after them.

"Hello? Shigure?" the phone on his shoulder called to him._ 'Back to the problem at hand…' _Shigure thought grimly, putting the receiver back up to his ear.

"So sorry Hatori, so can you come by? I think you'll find this fever rather interesting…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Awake At Last**

_When the world says, "Give up." Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."  
__~Author Unknown_

"_Stay away from her; she's trouble!" _

"_I heard she beat some girl to a pulp because she looked at her the wrong way!"_

"_What a horrible person!"_

"_Who would be friends with her; I can't even look at her!"_

"_Anyone unfortunate enough to meet her is cursed!"_

"No! I'm not cursed!" Miyako shot up, sweating, her long black hair sticking to her face. Her head ached horribly and her vision was blurry. It took Miyako a moment to clear up her eyesight, and once she did, she realized she was in an unfamiliar place.

'_Where am I? Whose house am I in?'_ Miyako thought nervously, brushing her hair out of her eyes. She looked around, examining her surroundings.

She was sitting in a traditional living room; green carpeting covered the floor and the shoji walls were relatively bare. A small wooden table sat to her left and the sliding door was open, displaying the back garden. It was a beautiful day; fall was well on its way but the warmth had yet to leave. The wind blew in lightly, exposing her shoulder.

'_That's strange; my shirt isn't that loose…'_ Miyako thought curiously. It was then that she noticed her attire.

Dread welled up inside her when she discovered a kimono had replaced her street clothes. She grabbed her neck instinctively; her necklace was still there, the single red bead on it glittered in the sunlight.

'_So I didn't transform…good…' _Miyako sighed in relief, tucking the bead away. If she did, she probably wouldn't be in this house, maybe outside, on the street.

'_Why am I here anyway?'_ she wondered.

"Ah, so you're awake at last." The voice made her jump; she whipped around, fists balled and ready for a fight.

A young man, probably in his mid twenties stood over her, a pen and notebook in his hand. He had slightly shaggy black hair, kind eyes, and was dressed in a light blue gray kimono and socks. He smiled, studying her.

'_He seems harmless enough…'_ she thought, relaxing a little but not letting her guard down; she didn't know if she could trust him.

"Who are you? How did I get here?" Miyako demanded. The man smiled calmly.

"I'm so sorry, my name is Shigure and this is my house." He waved his hand around, indicating the room they were in.

"What's going on?" The Sohma boy came in, followed by Tohru and another boy Miyako didn't recognize with bright orange hair. She wondered if it was naturally that way. Suddenly, an idea dawned on her.

"You!" Miyako said, pointing at Yuki. He looked bewildered.

'_Whoa…he has…purple eyes…'_ Miyako thought, making a mental note to ask about it later.

"You and the girl, Tohru brought me here; why?" she asked.

"Forgive Shigure for not explaining," he said, shooting an irritated glance in Shigure's direction.

"You had a terrible fever last night and Miss Honda over there was worried."

"That's Yuki Sohma, my cousin," Shigure said to Miyako.

"We couldn't leave you there!" Tohru said, her eyes glistening.

"That's the girl you were referring to, Tohru Honda and that other boy over there with the orange hair and the stupid expression on his face…"

"Hey! Who are you calling stupid?" the boy said angrily. Shigure eyed him with slight disapproval and turned his attention back to Miyako.

"That is Kyo Sohma, another cousin. We all live here…"

"And you can live here too!" Tohru said happily, cutting in. Miyako raised an eyebrow. _'This place is kinda weird…'_ she thought, edging away. A small mew caught her attention.

'_I know that meow…'_ Looking around franticly for the source, she spied her little black kitten on Kyo's shoulder.

"Amaya!" Miyako said, standing suddenly. The others looked at her in alarm.

"That's my cat, Amaya. I don't know why she's here though…" Miyako walked over to Kyo and took the kitten off his shoulder. The kitten purred happily and rubbed up against her face. Shigure, Yuki, and Tohru exchanged glances; they were all there last night when Miyako transformed into the black cat.

'_I wonder if that cat came to her…'_ Shigure thought silently.

'…_Because of her curse,'_ Yuki and Tohru finished the thought for Shigure. Everyone was wondering about her origins and what her curse, if indeed that's what it was, meant for the rest of them, especially the Zodiac members. Kyo had been left in the dark, but he secretly wondered about this girl too.

'_She's strange, not as strange as us I'm sure, but still…strange…'_ Kyo eyed the girl with slight interest as she played happily with her cat.

"So," Kyo said nonchalantly, making everyone start.

"You got a name?" he asked, ignoring Shigure's mocking grin. The girl stopped and looked at him, her bright green eyes glowing.

"Miyako, my name's Miyako. Thanks for watching my cat. Kyo isn't it?" she said. Kyo shrugged his shoulders.

"No problem, I found her in my room when I woke up, Cats, they…I have a way with cats," he answered, Shigure's sharp glance cutting him short.

'_That was close… got to be careful,'_ Kyo mentally scolded himself.

'_Stupid Cat,'_ Yuki thought in irritation, shaking his head.

'_It would be a problem if we let out the secret so soon,' _Shigure considered. Miyako was well aware of this silent exchange and wondered what it meant.

'_That's suspicious…'_ she studied everyone's face, trying to decide what they were hiding, but found nothing.

"Ahh!" Everyone jumped at Tohru's sudden outburst.

"We're going to be late! I'm so sorry Miyako! I have to go!" she rambled on as she ran out, leaving an uncomfortable silence in the room, broken only by Miyako's giggles.

"Wow, she's quite something." Miyako said, letting Amaya climb onto her shoulder. A notion struck her suddenly and she considered it.

'_You know…'_ Miyako thought, studying the house and the people in it.

'_Now that I think about it, this house might be the perfect place to start over… maybe I can finally have a family…'_ she smiled and turned to Shigure.

"Uh… I know this is kind of awkward and sudden, but I do need a place to stay… so… I'm willing to take you up on your offer." Shigure smiled in approval.

"Good! We need more women in this house!" he said cheerfully. Miyako stared at him, wondering if she should regret her decision.

"Now there is one condition with you living here; you must attended school, I can't have a girl your age constantly in the house." Shigure grinned.

"What? You're going to let another girl stay here?" Kyo asked, his voice full of malice. Miki stared at him in shock.

"Isn't enough to have one girl in the house? Why do we need another?" he growled, marching out of the room. Miyako stared after him, flinching when Kyo slammed the front door, a confused look on her face.

'_He was so nice at first…I don't get it….'_

"Foolish Kyo, he needs a serious lesson in self control; he will never ensnare a woman that way…" Shigure walked into the kitchen, shaking his head.

"Don't mind him, he's always like that." Yuki said. Miyako sweat dropped, she wasn't sure if Yuki was talking about Kyo or Shigure.

"Tohru left some clothes for you there," Yuki gestured, a small neat pile of clothes lay beside the mat she had slept on.

"Feel free to take a bath, bathroom is down the hall," Yuki said, motioning.

"I recommend locking the door with Shigure here."

"Hey, Yuki! I heard that!" Shigure called from the kitchen. Yuki turned to leave, but Miyako stopped him.

"Thanks for everything, but where are you going?" Miyako asked.

"The stupid Cat and I must be off to school, like Miss Honda said," Yuki answered with a smile. Kyo appeared through the open shoji.

"What was that you stupid Rat?" he shouted. Shigure popped his head around the corner, a peaceful look on his face.

"Please take your fight outside as I don't want my house destroyed Kyo-kun. Thank you!" he slunk back around the corner. Yuki sighed and walked out without another word, Kyo right behind him, shouting insults.

"Come on you cowered! Let's fight or are you running because you know I'm gonna win?" Miyako heard Kyo's complaints all the way down the street.

'_Wow,'_ she sighed. _'I guess they don't like each other…but what was that…Kyo calling Yuki a 'stupid rat'? I wonder…' _Miyako shook her head. _'No! That's a foolish thought! There's no one like me…that I know of anyway…'_

Miyako stayed at the house all day with Shigure, reading books from his library. He said Tohru did all the cooking, cleaning and shopping, so there wasn't much left for her to do. Miyako offered to help Tohru in her chores, leaving Shigure beaming with joy at the thought of 'another Tohru' in the house.

"Now you're too sick to do any work right now," Shigure told her before he left. Apparently, he had to go to the main house to approve her staying.

"I got orders from our family doctor not to let you do anything until you get better." With that, he smiled and left to see the head of the family, leaving Miyako alone to entertain herself. As she sat on her mat in a borrowed kimono, her mind began to wander back to the morning and its hidden conversations.

'_I'm wondering what passed between Tohru, Yuki, and Shigure; they were acting really suspicious…'_ Miyako sighed to herself. These people brought her in, gave her a second chance at life; how could she think about them like this?

'_No, it's nothing important, and if it is, I'll deal with it when the time comes…'_ With that, she settled back down and returned to her book.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. I do not know how long it will be before I can post another chapter, but I promise it'll be good. I apologize for the delay. Love ya all! ^^

_To silence another, first be silent yourself._

_~Latin Proverb_

Shigure got home just as school was ending. Miyako wanted to ask about her living in the house but Shigure didn't give her a chance to speak.

"I'm sure the others will be home soon," he said, settling down at the table with a book. As if on cue, Miyako heard the door open and the boys raising hell outside.

"Hello Miyako," Tohru said in greeting.

"Hi, did you have fun at school?" Miyako asked. The boys stormed in, drowning out Tohru's reply. Someone slammed the door.

"You damn Rat! I'm going to kick your ass!" Kyo snarled. Yuki didn't look amused.

"Bring it, you can't even lay a hand on me," Yuki said, his eyes narrowing. He glanced at Miyako and flashed an apologetic smile.

"Greetings Miss Hayashi, forgive me as I must teach this wretched Cat some manners. Kyo glared at him, hackles raised.

"What was that asshole?" he growled.

"Now, now," Shigure said, not looking up from his book.

"I don't want you breaking the house, and besides, is this anyway to welcome our newest housemate?" Yuki looked at Shigure suspiciously.

"Did you see Akito today?" Yuki asked in a loathing voice.

"What?" Kyo cried in outrage.

"Don't we have enough girls to deal with?" Kyo fumed pointing at a bewildered Tohru. A very pissed Yuki slapped Kyo's hand away and kicked him through the shoji. The door shattered and Kyo bounced once before tumbling into the bushes. Miyako was amazed and horrified at the same time.

'_Wow…how did he kick him that far?'_ she thought, studying Yuki and the door.

'_He doesn't look like he has the strength for that…'_ A low groan from the garden reminded Miyako of the beneficiary of Yuki's kick. Miyako ran to Kyo on a sudden impulse, reaching him just as he got up.

"Kyo, are you okay?" she asked. Kyo turned and glared at her.

"I don't need your pity too! I'm not that pathetic," he said fiercely. Miyako blinked in surprise and smiled sadly.

"I understand," Miyako said, her eyes tearing up a little. Kyo looked at her, regret replacing his anger. Miyako looked away shamefully.

'_No, stop it! I'm not going to cry in front of him… I don't want his pity either…'_ Kyo looked like he was about to say something but was interrupted by Shigure.

"Kyo, quit being an ass and fix the door; you can make it up to the girls later," Shigure said in a matter-of-fact tone. He smiled cheerfully and returned to his book. Everyone looked at him appalled, save for Tohru, who just looked confused.

"Whatever, I'm leaving! Girls and that damn Rat; I can't stand this house!" with that, he was gone. Tohru and Miyako watched him go. Shigure shrugged.

"He'll be back, he secretly likes girls," Shigure said, an enthusiastic grin on his face. Miyako was reminded of a quote she once heard.

"The more I see of man, the more I like dogs," she said, staring after Kyo. Everyone flinched mentally when Miyako had said 'dog' but she was too concerned about Kyo to notice their reactions.

'_Does she know?'_ Tohru and Yuki thought simultaneously.

"Quite a quote," Shigure said nervously.

"Madame de Staël right?" Miyako nodded.

"Yeah I think so…" she said, an odd look on her face.

'_Why does Kyo distance himself like that? Even I wasn't that bad… of course it was dangerous for me to be close to others… I don't want to transform…_' Miyako wondered what kept Kyo away from everyone.

'_Or maybe it's everyone keeping Kyo away from them…'_

"Umm, Miyako…" Tohru said, cutting into her thoughts.

"Yes? What is it?" Miyako asked.

"I know you're sick, but do you feel up to a little shopping? I'm sure you could use some new clothes seeing as we had to throw away your old ones," Tohru looked at Shigure, an apologetic and pleading smile on her face. Miyako snorted in amusement.

'_How can she have so many emotions on her face at once?'_ she wondered.

"If Shigure thinks I'm well enough to go; sure, I'll come," Miyako said, glancing at Shigure, who just shrugged.

"I'm no doctor, if you feel up to it, by all means go." Tohru and Miyako smiled.

"Just be careful, I don't want our precious young flowers to disappear."

"I guess I'll go then," Miyako said, ignoring Shigure's comment. Miyako stood, heading for the bathroom, clean clothes in hand.

"Just let me change then we'll go," she said. Soon the girls were on their way to the store. Seeing as Miyako had no money, Shigure had given her some. She had promised to pay him back, but he just shook his head.

"Que será, será, whatever will be will be," he said.

"Pay me back if you feel that will make you happy." Miyako was happy with taking the money and using it but planned to pay him back as soon as she got a job.

'_I don't want to owe someone I'm living with; I'm already staying in his house!'_ Miyako thought as Tohru handed her another shirt over the changing booth. They had decided to get Miyako her clothes before they did anything else.

"Here, this one's smaller," Tohru said. Miyako took the black shirt and pulled over her new bra. She turned and looked in the mirror. She had a pair of dark gray khaki pants on and a new pair of black sneakers. Miyako smiled and walked out to show Tohru.

"See? Now I look just like Kyo," Miyako said. Tohru laughed.

"You look good like that," Tohru said with a smile. Miyako returned the smile.

'_I finally feel like I belong,' _Miyako thought happily.

"I think I will get this outfit, I always wanted khaki pants," she joked. Miyako was amazed at how easy it was to talk to Tohru.

'_I just wish that I could talk to everyone else this easily…'_she thought sadly, picturing Kyo's reaction to her staying at the house.

"_Don't we have enough girls to deal with?"_

Miyako shook her head, clearing it of the image. She didn't understand why he hated her so much. They had only met this morning!

'_He did seem regretful after what he said; I think he doesn't know how to deal with people yet…'_ The thought raised her hopes a little.

"Um, Miyako? Are you okay?" Tohru asked. Miyako smiled.

"Yeah, I think I'm ready to go now; we still have to get dinner!" Both girls laughed.

"Alright then, let's go check out," Tohru said.

Miyako left with five shirts; two blue, one red, one green, and the black shirt, three pairs of jeans, the khaki pants, black shoes, and a school uniform. Shigure was going to get her enrolled tomorrow and she would start school the following week.

"You know, I always hoped I could find a place to belong," Miyako said suddenly. Tohru looked at her in surprise. They were on their way home, and the walk had been relatively quiet. Both girls felt a little awkward but neither would admit it.

"It's hard for me to get close to anyone," Miyako explained, looking at the sky, watching the clouds.

"My family has always thought of me as an eyesore…" Miyako looked up, afraid she had given her secret away by accident.

"For various reasons of course," She said, recovering quickly. Tohru nodded in understanding.

'_It's because of your curse…how sad…'_ Tohru thought silently.

"I'm glad to have met you all," Miyako continued.

"It makes me happy to know there are people who still care in this world…I thought they were all gone…" she hung her head, admiring her new sneakers. Tohru smiled at her.

"I think you are brave person, Miyako-chan." Miyako glanced up at Tohru.

"Not many people can survive on their own, but many people still try to…" she trailed off, lost in thought. Miyako smiled a little.

"Thanks Tohru…" she said. Tohru looked at her in question.

"Just for being there, that's all I need right now…" Miyako sighed lightly.

'_Maybe I can find someone to be there forever…'_

Back at the house, Shigure and Kyo were in the living room; Shigure working on his novel and Kyo was fixing the door Yuki kicked him through. Yuki himself was upstairs doing homework. The Cat and Dog sat in silence for quite some time.

"Shigure," Kyo said at last. Shigure looked up from his notes.

"Do you really think I will get better at dealing with people?" Kyo asked, avoiding eye contact. Shigure looked thoughtful for a moment.

"No." Kyo looked up from his work, incensed.

"What? After all you said about practicing and getting better?"

"You can only get better if you are willing to get better; how people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours. True words Wayne Dyer…" Shigure said with a sigh. Kyo looked at Shigure, frustration all over his face.

"People will act as they wish, just as you act in return." Shigure translated. Kyo still looked a little confused.

"It's all a matter on what you want back from that person." Shigure added. Kyo nodded slowly, thinking.

'_I guess it can't hurt to try to be nicer…'_ Shigure smiled a little.

'_Maybe there's some hope for all of us…'_ Shigure considered, returning to his notes, glancing up occasionally at Kyo.

'_We'll just have to wait and see…'_

"We're home!" Tohru called. Both guys looked up. Shigure caught Kyo's eye.

"Here's your chance, he whispered as the girls came in.

"Welcome home!" Shigure said happily. He turned to Miyako.

"Ah, Miyako-kun, you look lovely in your new clothes! Absolutely beautiful! Kyo agrees too don't you Kyo?" Shigure said with a smile. Kyo glared at Shigure before looking at Miyako; she was still dressed in her 'Kyo outfit'.

Miyako blushed and looked down as Kyo stared at her, his face turning pink.

'_Crap! I forgot to change…'_ Miyako mentally scolded herself.

'_What is she getting at? Is she making fun of me?' _he thought, still staring.

"Miyako, do you think you could help me make some snacks?" Tohru asked.

"Dinner's going to take longer than I thought."

'_I will forever be in your debit,'_ Miyako silently thanked Tohru.

"I'll be there in a sec, I have to put my clothes down," she said, running upstairs. "I'm glad Tohru agreed to share her room with me,' Miyako thought, setting her clothes down by the bed. She smiled to herself and ran to help Tohru.

"Kyo," Shigure said.

"Why don't you help Tohru with the snacks?" he hinted.

"Yeah, sure," Kyo sighed, getting up. Apparently Tohru had finished making the snacks and was heading out of the kitchen just as Kyo and Miyako were heading in to help her. There was a crash and a loud poof.

'_Oh boy…'_ Shigure thought, massaging his forehead.

'_This is going to be interesting…'_

"I am so sorry…" Tohru started; the scene before her cut her shout.

'_There are two piles of clothes? That means…'_

"Damn it all!" Kyo growled, crawling out of his shirt. His tail twitched irritably.

"Why did you have to go and do that?" Kyo shouted. A black cat jumped in front of Tohru, its hackles raised and green eyes blazing.

"Shut up Kyo! This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't run into me! You…" Miyako stopped; the two Cats stared at each other in amazement.

'_She's…'_

'_He's…'_

"You're a Cat?" they said in unison. Shigure snorted, and then exploded into laughter.

"Haha! You…you two should see…the look on both of your faces! Hahaha!" Yuki came down the stairs and eyed Shigure with distaste.

"What's all the noise…" he saw the Cats and sweat-dropped.

"Oh."

The Cats continued to stare at each other in disbelief, Shigure's laughter in the background of their thoughts.

'_I…I'm not the only Cat…but what is she?'_ Kyo thought.

"What…what's going on?" Miyako asked.

'_Kyo…we have more in common than I thought…'_

With a loud and unexpected poof, both Cats changed back into humans. Once the black and orange smoke cleared, Miyako and Kyo looked away from each other, both their faces bright red.

'_We're the same…'_

After everyone was dressed and had calmed down, Shigure brought everyone in to sit at the table. The snacks had been saved, and Tohru was nervously passing them out. The room was strangely quiet.

"So," Shigure started. Everyone was silent.

"I can understand why this came as a shock to both our Cats," Kyo gave Shigure a death glare and Miyako stared at the table.

"Now, as you can see Miyako," Shigure continued.

"Our family is under a curse. When our bodies come under great stress, or we're hugged by the opposite sex, we transform into one of the twelve animals of the Zodiac…" Shigure said. Kyo cleared his throat.

"…Plus the Cat. Yuki and I are also cursed, myself with the Dog and Yuki with the Rat. What we don't know is the whereabouts of your curse…" Shigure studied Miyako, waiting for any answers she had to offer.

"You saw me transform…when I first got here…" Miyako said quietly.

"That's why you were acting like that…" Shigure nodded.

"Yuki, Tohru and I saw you transformed; Kyo was upstairs sleeping at the time, otherwise he would have know sooner…" Kyo huffed and turned away.

"In all honesty, I don't know much about my curse, but I transform when both male AND females hug me…I can't be touched…" Miyako said sadly. Shigure looked thoughtful. Yuki caught his eye.

"There is one exception to our transformation," Yuki said. Miyako looked up, hope shining in her eyes.

"We can hug the opposite sex if they are cursed with a Zodiac animal as well."

Miyako's eyes wandered from Shigure, to Kyo who was avoiding all eye contact, to Yuki. She stood and walked over to Yuki, wanting to avoid the perverted look on Shigure's face, and awkwardly hugged him.

'_I need practice hugging…how sad…'_ Miyako thought, before realizing the effects of her hug. Nothing happened.

"Ah, so you can hug the other members as well…interesting…" Shigure said. Miyako sat back down.

"I'll tell you what I know of my curse; it's not much but it's what I've lived off of for sixteen years now…" Miyako sighed.

"My curse is the curse of the Black Cat; I bring bad luck to everyone, or so the curse goes. My father's homeland viewed cats as an apparition of evil."

"Where is your father from?" Tohru asked.

"He's originally from Ireland, but my father came here to Japan to work; my mother is Japanese and my father Irish, it's from him that I got the curse."

"That's funny, you don't look Irish at all," Shigure cut in.

"It's the curse that does it," she explained.

"I have the black hair and green eyes of a common black cat. I believe it work s the same way with the Zodiac curse; Kyo doesn't seem like the type to bleach his hair." Kyo flinched when Miyako said his name. Shigure waved his hand dismissively.

"Enough about our curse, I'd like to here more about yours."

"That's all I really know about the curse, but I do have a theory; your curse is based on the story of the banquet, I think mine may be related to a similar story." Miyako paused, looking thoughtful.

"I just need to find the story first. Maybe then I'll at least be able to understand my curse better…" she sighed, her story done. Everyone sat quietly, thinking.

'_This girl not only suffered from a curse, but suffered alone from the sound of it, how horrible…'_ Shigure thought. He wondered what happened to Miyako's parents.

'_I wonder where her curse came from…'_ Tohru glanced at Miyako, then at the clock. It was almost midnight. Miyako seemed to have noticed as well.

"You know, it's late…I had a long day and need my sleep," Miyako suppressed a yawn, causing Yuki and Shigure to yawn as well.

"I'm going to bed too," Tohru added.

"I have to work in the morning. Goodnight everyone!" Tohru said happily.

"Goodnight Miss Honda, Miyako-kun," Yuki said between yawns.

"Goodnight," Shigure said.

"Sleep well girls." Yuki and Kyo glared at him as the girls went upstairs.

"What's that supposed to mean?" they asked in unison. Shigure shrugged, making the boys turn away in anger. They both headed up the stairs.

"Remember the fragileness of both our flowers," Shigure called after them, making them pause momentarily. Neither looked back. Soon Shigure was left alone with just his thoughts to keep him company.

'_I wonder what kind of fate that girl has…'_ he contemplated silently.

'_And what she means for the rest of us…'_

**A/N: Whoo! Drama! I love you all! ^^**


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